Page 14 of The Spanish Daughter (The Lost Daughters #5)

13

PRESENT DAY

Rose had never experienced anything like the Argentine Open. From the moment she’d arrived, she was so pleased that she’d decided to come. She’d had no idea how many people would be attending; the enormous, immaculately prepared field was flanked by stadium seating on both sides, with tents at one end for the VIP guests, of which she was fortunate enough to be one.

‘Rose!’ came a call from the other side of the tent, just as she was reaching into her purse for the ticket that had been sent to her the day before.

She saw Luis Gonzalez waving to her, and she nodded to the security guard as he stood aside to let her pass.

‘I’m so pleased you came,’ he said. ‘And that you’re still in Argentina, of course.’

‘Well, I met Benjamin, and let’s just say he was very persuasive,’ she told him. ‘But I’m pleased to be here—it’s turning out to be quite the experience.’

‘Let me get you a glass of champagne and introduce you to a few people, and then we can watch the game,’ he said, taking her arm and walking her across the tent so that they had a view of the field. Rose tried to ignore the feeling that everyone was looking at her and attempting to figure out how she was connected to Valentina Santiago; more likely it was her imagination and no one had even noticed her presence.

Rose admired the glossy horses as the players warmed them up, their coats shining in the sunlight. But it wasn’t until Luis touched her arm that she turned to look across to the other side of the field.

‘Someone’s waving to you.’

She blushed when she realised that Benjamin had his hand raised and was looking straight at her, sitting on horseback and talking to a teammate. He wore white breeches and a dark blue silky polo that clung to his skin, and if Jessica were beside her, she’d have whispered that perhaps Benjamin might take the prize for best-looking polo player.

Rose waved back, her eyes tracking him as he cantered across the field, effortlessly swinging his mallet from one side to the other. He certainly made it look easy, and she very much doubted that it was.

‘You seem to have caught my brother’s attention.’

Rose turned slightly to see a beautiful young woman standing beside her, holding an almost empty glass of champagne.

‘Rose,’ she said, holding out her hand. ‘And you must be Benjamin’s sister.’

‘Maya,’ she said, giving Rose’s hand a quick shake. ‘My brother told me this is your first time attending a polo game?’

‘It is, but I’m certainly hoping it’s not my last.’

‘Well, I’m going to let you ladies get to know each other,’ Luis said. ‘I’ll be back with some other people who’ve been so looking forward to meeting you.’

Rose tried not to appear as panicked as she felt about being left, and she also fought against the desire to drain her glass, for confidence. Maya’s smile had disappeared, and Rose had the distinct feeling that she wasn’t so pleased to meet her.

‘Your family has polo in their blood, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy the game today,’ Maya said, with a coolness that Rose was certain she hadn’t imagined.

‘So your brother told me, although I have to admit that I’ve never really been around horses until yesterday, let alone understood polo,’ Rose said. ‘It’s all new to me, but I’m very interested to see what it’s all about.’

Maya gave her a long glance, and Rose had the distinct feeling that Maya didn’t trust her.

‘May I ask you a question?’ said Maya.

‘Of course.’

‘Is it true that you never met Valentina or visited the Santiago property before? Even when you were a girl?’

‘All true,’ Rose said, before lifting her glass and deciding that draining half of it sat squarely between a bad decision and a good one. ‘And if I look out of place, it’s because I am, but Luis and Benjamin both insisted that I stay, so here I am. I’m doing my best to fit in.’

‘We’re a very close family here, Rose, and we all adored Valentina and felt very protective of her, so I’m sure you can understand how surprised we were when you arrived.’

Rose could feel the words between them that were going unsaid, knew that really Maya wanted to tell her they didn’t trust her and wished she’d just go home. ‘I can assure you that no one was more surprised by all this than me.’

Maya’s eyebrows lifted, as if she were about to ask another question, but Rose was saved by Luis, who came back with an older couple who seemed just as curious about her, only far more friendly than Benjamin’s sister.

‘It was lovely to meet you, Maya,’ Rose said, as Luis commanded her attention. ‘I’m sure our paths will cross again.’

But as she turned away, she felt herself hoping that they didn’t. Either Maya was extremely protective of her brother, or perhaps she was worried about Valentina’s legacy. Maybe she’d expected something to be left to her? Either way, Rose doubted the other woman was ever going to warm to her.

‘Here we go!’ Luis declared as the game began, sparing Rose more small talk as everyone turned their attention to the game being played in front of them.

When a waiter wearing all black came past with more champagne, Rose happily took another glass, clapping as Benjamin’s team got a goal and gasping when three of the players galloped so close she felt the ground vibrate beneath her feet.

But no matter who had the ball or what was happening on the field, Rose found her eyes permanently drawn to Benjamin. His dark hair curled slightly at the back, damp and clinging to his neck, his face partly obscured by the helmet he wore, but somehow he still looked breathtakingly good.

She smiled to herself as she took another sip of champagne, imagining what it would have been like to have Jessica and her mum there, elbowing her in the side the very second they knew she was attracted to him. They would most definitely have approved of her little crush, and she found that the more champagne she sipped, the more she could fantasise about what it might be like to get to know Benjamin a little more intimately.

‘Rose,’ Luis said, touching her arm and drawing her from her thoughts. ‘That’s the end of the chukka. May I take you around the tent to introduce you?’

She smiled politely. ‘Of course.’

‘There are so many people hoping you’ll fall in love with polo,’ Luis said, leaning in and speaking in a low voice. ‘Without the Santiago sponsorship…’

Rose nodded. She understood what he was trying to tell her. ‘Whether I stay here or not, the only thing that matters to me is preserving whatever legacy Valentina left behind. If that means sponsoring polo, which was clearly dear to her heart, and if there’s enough money to continue to do so, then I have no intention of letting the polo community down. I sense that they loved her very much.’

‘Spoken like a true Santiago,’ he said. ‘Maria! Lola! Come and meet Rose!’

Rose stifled her groan and took another sip of champagne. If only the next chukka would start so she’d have an excuse to run to the front of the tent and watch the game.

‘You look like you’re enjoying yourself.’

Benjamin was holding a towel around his neck, and she found her eyes transfixed on him. His hair was curled and damp with sweat, his top clung to his body, and she had the distinct realisation that she needed to be very, very careful where Benjamin was concerned. He was gorgeous, there was no other way to describe him, and he was also proving impossible to look away from.

She reminded herself to blink and forced her eyes back to his, which only worked to embarrass her as he’d clearly seen the way she was looking at him.

‘I think I’ve had too much champagne.’

‘I never would have guessed,’ he teased, before stepping over the little fence separating the tent from the field and ducking his head low towards her. ‘Would you like to get out of here? I always find the small talk at these things very painful.’

‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘I kept sipping to avoid talking, and now…’ Rose wobbled and Benjamin caught her arm, which made her giggle.

‘Come with me,’ he said. ‘Once you get out of here, you’ll be fine.’

She clung to his arm and carefully stepped back over the little white picket fence, kicking off her shoes and carrying them in her hand as they walked together, the grass soft beneath her toes. Rose leaned into him, not caring that he was hot and sweaty. She even dropped her head to his shoulder for a moment, hoping it would ease the pounding that was starting in her head and wishing she’d stopped after one glass. Drinking alcohol in the heat wasn’t her smartest idea.

‘Where are you taking me?’ she asked.

‘To where we keep the horses,’ he said. ‘Away from the crowds.’ Benjamin grinned when he glanced down at her. ‘I think you’ll like it.’

She looked up then and saw the horse trucks lined up and the grooms watering and caring for the ponies. It was as far removed as possible from the tented section where she’d been, and it looked like the perfect place to hide from all the people wanting to talk to her.

‘I’d put your shoes on though, if I were you. Unless you don’t mind standing in horse dung.’

Rose didn’t need to be told twice, leaning heavily into him as she balanced on one foot and then the next to slip her feet back into her shoes.

‘You know, you’re nothing like I expected,’ Benjamin said, catching her wrist when she wobbled.

‘What did you expect?’ she asked, leaning closer to him so that his head blocked the sun from her eyes.

Benjamin stared down at her, his eyes flickering to her mouth before meeting hers again. ‘An uptight English woman who’d never think of getting drunk at her first polo match.’

Rose laughed. ‘Well, it turns out that I’ve managed to surprise both of us.’

‘It was all too much over there, huh?’ he asked, when they resumed their stroll again.

‘This year…’ She hesitated, not sure how much to say and feeling a lot more sober all of a sudden. ‘I’ve had a lot of change in my life lately. I’ll tell you about it another day, but I just don’t feel like meeting new people and making small talk right now, and I know everyone was only being friendly and Luis wants me to feel welcome, but?—’

‘But sometimes you just don’t need all the noise. I get that,’ he said. ‘It’s why I spend more time with horses than people, and it’s why I retreat back here so I can just enjoy the peace and have a quiet drink on my own after a game.’

Rose could tell from the tone of his voice that he wasn’t just trying to placate her—there was something about the way he’d spoken that told her he actually did understand how she felt.

‘One of my closest friends died a few years back,’ Benjamin said as they neared a sleek black truck. He opened a compartment on the side and took out two bottles of water, passing her one. ‘After that, I kind of closed myself off. I didn’t even know if I’d play polo anymore, until Valentina visited me one day. And trust me, when a woman in her nineties pays you a visit and says she needs to talk, you answer the door.’

Rose smiled at the thought, imagining a spindly white-haired woman knocking on the door. Whatever she said had clearly worked to get him back in the saddle.

‘Did she help you, or did she order you back?’

‘She helped me. Valentina told me that she understood loss more than anyone, but that I had a choice to make,’ he said, unscrewing the lid on his water and taking a long sip. Rose found her eyes drawn to his throat, somehow finding even the way he swallowed water mesmerising. ‘She said I needed to decide then and there whether I was going to live a full, beautiful life or whether I was going to lose myself to sadness.’

Rose felt a shiver run through her.

‘I didn’t know what she was referring to at the time, but now I’m guessing that it was placing her daughter for adoption. She appeared to live an incredible life, and I believe she did, but it wasn’t because her life was perfect. She wanted me to know that she understood my pain.’

‘Your friend, did he die playing polo?’

Benjamin took such a deep breath that his shoulders lifted. ‘He was training one of his horses and they both fell. His horse crushed him in a totally freak accident.’

‘I’m sorry.’

His smile was tight, but she could see the softness in his eyes that told her how much he cared, how much it still hurt. Which was why it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him about her mother.

‘One day you’ll tell me about what you’ve been through?’ he asked. ‘When you’re ready?’

Rose stared at him, almost ready but then suddenly not. She didn’t want to talk about what she’d lost, not today. Not with him. ‘I will.’

‘So, what did you think of the polo?’

He turned away from her and lifted his shirt over his head, leaving her to stare at his golden, muscled back. Rose was suddenly very much in need of her bottle of water. He changed into an identical shirt before turning back to her.

‘It was impressive,’ she said. ‘You were impressive.’

He raised a brow. ‘You figured out the rules.’

‘I did.’

They stood for a moment, him seeming to consider her as they stared at each other, and when he held out his hand for her now-empty water bottle, she found herself placing her palm against his instead of the bottle.

Benjamin’s lips curved at one corner. ‘You’ve had too much to drink,’ he murmured.

‘I have,’ she whispered back. ‘Which I’ll have you know is very rare for me.’

‘If you hadn’t,’ he said, taking a step closer to her, ‘I might kiss you.’

Rose waited, catching her bottom lip beneath her teeth as she stared up at him, waiting, hoping , for him to kiss her. But instead of pressing his lips to hers, he leaned in close and whispered against her ear, his breath soft and warm against her skin.

‘You know, I’m still hoping to change your mind about Argentina.’

Rose swallowed. ‘What are you hoping to make me think?’

A smile teased across his mouth. ‘That there’s nowhere more in the world you belong.’